Riley v Huey & Other Hidden Meanings Revealed in the Boondocks (Under Construction)

Two brothers from the "Ghetto" of Chicago. Taken into care by their Grandad Robert Freeman into a upper middle class suburban neighborhood Woodcrest. Two brothers from the same womb but quite surprisingly couldn't be more different.

Meet Riley Freeman.
Unlike Huey his older brother who "walks to the beat of his own drum" Riley can be seen emulating rappers like Thugnificent from Lethal Interjection. From his clothing choices to his actions & belief system.

He is almost the splitting image of his idols. Who of course sing music promoting gun violence and gang glorification, objectification of women and participation in get money quick schemes like drug dealing.

Then there's his other favorite artist Ganstalicious. See below.

Soon after listening to Ganstalicious Riley adopted a new style of dress. Equipped with a "man bag" and skimpy clothing bearing midriff.

In contrast let's meet Huey Freeman.

Huey Freeman definitely like myself is an old soul. He's usually depicted as miserable and drained from being constantly surrounded by others unlike himself. He's usually depicted as an enemy of the state or crazy conspiracy theorist. In certain episodes he's had to flee his home because of being sought after by government officials. He's an avid reader and isn't wooed by the latest fads usually eaten up by other youth his age. He's unfazed. He's anti-government and when researching information on The Black Panther party I came across Huey P. Newton as being its founder.

Perhaps another jab? The creator of the Boondocks sure is clever with his placement of symbolic names. Its weird because when trying to find a term to describe Huey Freeman's ideals and values the first thing I kept thinking of was Black Panther ideals. Low and behold the creator of The BPP's name is Huey.

Huey is constantly visited by Ghost Face Killa (which ironically isn't dead) kind of like a guardian angel who he turns to when in need of guidance. Unlike his brother Riley I would say his ideals align more with "conscious" rappers like Common and artists of the 80's etc. When Hip-Hop meant Higher Internal Power Helping Our People according to Professor Griff of the group Public Enemy. It once had an uplifting tone promoting unity and self-sufficiency. In total contrast to the music of today which one can argue instills materialism and superficial ideals within our people.
This constant need to "look the part" can be in part held responsible for allowing this generational cycle of poverty to thrive. Priorities aren't in order.

For instance when Riley was obsessed with this chain given to him by the Lethal Interjection crew. In the episode Shinin. Riley's chain was stolen by bully Bush Magnus and later tried to be taken back by a character voiced by Busta Rhymes. Bush Magnus ended up surprisingly beating him up just as he did Riley and later told them they could have the chain back because it was of no value to him and it was priced as being fake, comprised of Cubic Zirconia and other cheap metals.

Fast forward to 0.43 to hear Butch Magnus talk about the chain having no value

Like the time when he conducted an experiment to see how Black TV (BET etc) could effect one's health.



Now let's meet Tom.
Tom Du Bois? perhaps reference to W.E.B Du Bois
In his work Da Souls of Black Folk he speaks of the term Double Consciousness.
Could the two brothers represent the two soul warring within one body that Du Bois spoke of?
I myself like to say that I'm almost like a Chameleon of sorts. I believe my grandmother's motto: "There's a time and a place for everything."
To me that kind of means being able to embrace certain cultural aspects. The more favorable ones like Soul Food, The Cha Cha Slide at family get togethers etc.
There's also times when I can appreciate things like the new dance craze not unlike Riley Freeman.
I have different types of people I hang around, that I wouldn't necessarily have cross paths.
I can twerk, pretty well actually. But then there's the me that most people see. The "productive" side.
The ultra professional, articulate, over-achiever.

Tom Du Bois within the Black community may be looked at as a "Coon" or sell out to some. As his wife is Caucasian. He "speaks white" without using slang and in complete sentences. Tom is an attorney & yes all those degrees and awards lining the wall behind him are his.
Double consciousness within the Black community causes a very internal conflict. Double consciousness is best summed up as being “two souls” and or personalities warring within one body. This is W.E.B Du Bois' concept from his work “The Souls of Black folk”. One soul aspires to be something and succeed in life but this success is hardly achievable because trying to advance and not succumbing to the negative stereotypes commonly associated with being Black i.e. violence and poverty. may cause you to be disowned by your own fellow Blacks. Aspiring to be something and pursue things like education or employment is mislabeled as “abandoning your culture”.


Unfortunately at times in order to advance you must distance yourself from people in your race that only associates following the crowd and living in a never ending cycle of poverty, struggle, and crime as defining Blackness. Distancing yourself is seen as embracing Whiteness. This is due to the fact that Whiteness is associated with anything positive and successful. Education is mislabeled as being White, wealth is seen as also being White. Blackness is the opposite therefore if you achieve success you’re now aspiring to be not successful but transform into White as a whole. You’re “replacing” and “forgetting” your Blackness. Fear of resentment from your own race for your interest in anything considered White i.e. wanting to go to college discourages you from advancing. The other soul aims to please your own race and maintain loyalty to them which ultimately results in your demise.

Tom's wife Sarah

I'd like to leave you with the saying:
"Damned if you do, damned if you don't."
You see in this life you can't possibly please everyone. Me, nor anyone else in this race is the face of Black people. Just because you're part of a specific ethnic background doesn't make you responsible for others actions. That type of pressure can only work in vain. I'll leave you all with a link to a very impactful video of a boy who survived a suicide attempt. When asked what his motive was he blmd it on feeling like he had to challenge stereotypes commonly associated with Blacks.

So he had spent his life, like myself overachieving with attempts to "restore" the perception of the Black race and Black youth. This will be the topic of part II of this article. Stay Tuned. Voice your thoughts, whether in opposition or in alignment.- AGC